Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Looking back: a reflection on Cohort 14

As we enter the
last week, emotions are mixed as. There is satisfaction as we look back over
the work we have undertaken, and everything we have achieved; there is
happiness, as we realise the strength of the bonds we have forged with each
other; there is excitement, as we look forward to heading home to our families
for Christmas; and there is sadness as we get ready to leave Bolivia and the
friendships we have made. However, our sadness is somewhat negated by the
memories we have made and the knowledge that we will see the British Volunteers
again at the reunion, and hopefully the Bolivians at some point in the not so
distant future.

We have spent a lot of time looking back at what we
have achieved, and this has given us great satisfaction. The impact of our work
is clear to see, particularly with regards to the construction. The greenhouses
we helped build, and the numerous vegetable patches we have dug, are a clearly
identifiable positive impact of our work. The women who we have worked for have
thoroughly appreciated our efforts, and we can be sure in the knowledge that
our work will result in their diets being supplemented by the nutritious
vegetables they will grow, and hopefully they can successfully sell their
products at market and begin to make a profit.

Our construction efforts have been reinforced by the
workshops we have undertaken, and these have had both the intended and also
unintended results. The commercialization workshop that we conducted will
provide the producers with the necessary skillset to sell their products at
market, and will create a crucial income for these women, some of whom are
among the poorest residents of El Alto. The Gender workshops have also been
incredibly successful, as we have helped women become more aware of their
rights, and no doubt they will start to notice their rights being abused. These
changes are small, but they are necessary and important, and will hopefully
become a piece in the wider puzzle of positive change in Bolivia. We have also
been fortunate enough to take part in two gender fairs in San Miguel, which
allowed us to actively engage with the wider community, making them more aware
of the terrible inequality that cripples Bolivia, and also making them aware of
the work that International Service undertakes, and we believe that these are
positive changes.

As the ICS funding ends here in Bolivia, it is
naturally a time of change here in the International Service office. Although
we are to be the last British volunteers here, the solely Bolivian volunteers
who will replace us will contribute to a wider movement of sustainability
within South American development. It is our sincere hope that these Bolivian
volunteers will see the benefits of the work that we have undertaken, and will
no doubt continue our work, contributing to the wider, positive social changes
that are taking place all over Bolivia.